SCHOOL BUS DRIVER FIRED FOR FIELD TRIP BEHAVIOR

The Des Moines Man Had Been Accused Of Sexually Suggestive Words And
Gestures.

A Des Moines school bus driver has been fired after being accused of
"sexually inappropriate" behavior with Central Campus students on a
field trip and for failing to report students' marijuana use.

Shon Clausen, 38, of Des Moines was fired by the Des Moines school
district in late September after being placed on leave for five
months. He had worked for the district for four years as a bus
driver, although his driving record includes a license suspension and
19 traffic citations.

District records indicate Clausen was fired after a district
investigation into a 17-day field trip in which Central Campus
students traveled to Florida in March as part of their marine biology
studies. Clausen was accused of making sexually suggestive comments
to female students; of persistently commenting on the students'
physical appearance; of making "sexually inappropriate gestures" with
his hands; and of touching some of the students in "an unwanted or
unwelcome" way, the records show.

District spokesman Klark Jessen said the district has not alleged any
criminal conduct by Clausen. The circumstances surrounding Clausen's
dismissal were made public this month after an unemployment benefits
hearing.

The records also show Clausen was accused of failing to tell district
officials that some students had brought marijuana on the trip. Doug
Willyard, the district's deputy director of human resources, alleged
in a letter to Clausen that his actions had "resulted in even more
students being sent home for drug usage" than would have happened
otherwise.

Clausen said the sexual-harassment allegations are false and were
made only after he caught three students on a Florida beach creating
a pipe out of empty Mountain Dew cans. When he realized the students
were intending to smoke marijuana, he said, he told them to get rid
of the drugs. In what he called an "error in judgment," he didn't
report the incident until the next day when it appeared to him that
the students had ignored his advice.

By that point, he said, it appeared that more students were using the
drug. Ultimately, Clausen said, seven students were sent home from
Florida for drug use. Jessen declined to say how many students were
sent home, saying the number was tied to "personal information for
students."

Clausen said he worked the annual Florida field trip for three years
in a row, acting as bus driver and photographer.

Jessen said that typically there are about 60 students on each trip,
accompanied by roughly 30 adults.

"The adults include everybody from people driving the buses to the
diving instructors," he said. "And they even have nurses along in
case medical attention is needed. And then, of course, there are a
significant number of parents."

The popular, award-winning marine biology program was established in
the 1980s and draws students from a 50-mile radius. The program
includes an on-site laboratory and the annual two-week trip to
Florida. Students raise money to help pay for the trip, and
scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Court records indicate Clausen has received 19 traffic citations
since 1993 , including seven for speeding and seven for failure to
have a valid vehicle registration. Clausen said that he also has had
his "fair share of accidents" and that his license was suspended for
four months in 1989 after he received three tickets in a one-year
period. He said he's very careful now when it comes to driving.

"I do play a lot of pool, and I do know how to drink Coors Light, but
I will not touch a vehicle, whatsoever, even after one" drink, he
said. Referring to a Des Moines restaurant and pub, he said, "If you
know where Felix and Oscar's is, I've walked home many times from
there."

Jessen said the district examines the driving record and criminal
history of all bus drivers before they are hired. District policy
says drivers must have a "good driving record," although that term is
not defined.

"We know what their driving record is when we hire them," Jessen
said. "There are no hard-and-fast rules, but obviously the driving
record that we see when we hire someone has to be something that
would lead us to believe they'd be a responsible driver."